November 16.
by Alan Smithee
Summary: 6 months after the defeat of Ultimecia, Squall is left with a completely different life. (Please review this piece with your thought on the end question, it could determine things in both fic life and real life.)
1. Default Chapter Title

Has it only been six months?  
  
It seems like so long ago. I'm not sure if it's been that way because of second-hand Ultimecia, or just because things have changed so quickly. One minute everything's going completely wonderful, the next minute, I'm here.  
  
Oh, hey. You may or may not remember, but I'm Squall. You know, everyone's hero just a few months ago? It seems like I've been relegated to that "Where are they now?" file that'll only get referenced by pop culture geeks. Wasn't it yesterday that I was seen as the pinnacle of evolution by many people involved in study of the art of these things?  
  
Every so often, I guess people always need new heroes. One day, you're the greatest. The next day, you don't even exist anymore. Story of my life, I guess.  
  
You might need some help around my gigs. This is my new place of residence, Esthar. Not bad, really. People still give me props around here just because I'm "the President's son." I heard him talking about how he wanted me to run as his vice-presidential candidate this year, but he scored John McCain at the last minute, so I was on the backburner. Not bad; he won by a landslide, I still get some recognition, everyone's happy, right?  
  
Ah, here's the place. Esthar College. I know, it's not like Balamb was, but you have to figure. For some reason, they thought that sending people off from the building was a better thing than keeping them there. Well, at least some of us. Last I heard, Quistis and Nida passed their instructor's exams, they got to stay on board. I missed one question, and end up in the packing business.   
  
Eh, at least I get some perks. I mean, Balamb had everything, but at what Garden could I head right into the mall during pre-opening hours? I fricking love this! I get the first of all the newest stuff, right after the workers.  
  
"What's going on?"   
"Do you have me a copy of the newest?" I ask.  
"Well, we have only a few new things in. Laguna Loire: Making of a President DVD, The Defeat of the Sorceress for PS VS. Godzilla, and that other one, but it's all sold out."  
"I see." At the very least, this place gives me a chance to scout out all of the newest stuff. Hey, I look so much better in real life than in this game. Why did I say that was perfectly fine? WHY? Hmmm. The new wrestling game's in. "Whoa, Raijin looks SO different in this game." Oh, I forgot to mention? After the "Disciplinary Committee" left Garden, they wouldn't take them back after the battle. Instead of disbanding, they did the only thing they could do; join the World Wrestling Federation. Last I checked, Seifer was the Light Heavyweight champion. Eh, I digress.   
  
Ah, class time. I head back to the Ragnarok (probably the best thing I was able to keep after Garden graduated me,) and zoom over. It's a little...out of place in a stream of Escorts and Camrys, but I think it's good for bragging rights. Ah, now to get to class...  
  
If there's one thing I hate about Garden, it's all of those classes spent on "How to get the Sorceress to let her guard down so you can strike" they put us through instead of giving us tougher math classes. I always blew through their math classes. Suddenly, I'm placed into this one, and I'm actually struggling a little bit? This is just insane! Eh, class is over. Sneak out quickly, head over to the vacant room.  
  
Ah, I just caught the last few minutes.   
  
"Squall! How've you been?" Zell. One of the only few who actually came to EC with me there.  
"Not bad, man. You?"  
"Always good. So, did you read the copy I loaned you?" Oh, maybe I should've mentioned. Somewhere during last summer, Zell found religion. Now instead of a hot dog-chomping, ass-kicking dude like he used to be, he's become a hot-dog chomping, video-playing, born again Christian who chose pacifism. Oh, yeah, and he's forsaken the use of GFs and magic.   
"Nope, man. I've been trying to get through it, but I can only read one passage at a time..."  
"That's all you need. Read the thing. It'll change your life more than those Weapons Monthlys..." He left. Now, to get towards my next duties.  
  
Ah, now to head over to just rest at the mall. I figure, I work hard during that one morning class, I should just chill out, relax, rat until my next class.  
  
Every mall is supposed to have a few things, and this mall just barely applies. All it has are the bonafide requirements: an Auntie Anne's, a Sbarro, and a News shop to get some better quality drinkage. Eh, I'll just wait...  
That song! Over the mall radio! Isn't that....one of *our* songs?  
  
Oh, I'm sorry. I must seem like a bit of a psycho right now. You see, I haven't seen Rinoa in ages. Don't get me wrong, I still love her. It's just that when we destroyed Ultimecia, they gave a free ride to her and Irvine for this year so that they can officially become SeeDs. As a result, when they kicked me out, I lost my one ability to see her. I've only seen her in vague places: going out of the new overpriced record store in Balamb when I was looking for work while holed up at Zell's place around June, a couple of times at some free shows around Deling City, and the like. As a result, I can't see her too often. For some reason, if you leave, you can't go back to Garden. Hmmm. I've been ranting a bit. I'd better go to work.  
  
I basically have a sort of good placement now. Pops set me up with a job in the "boiler room" of the offices around here. It's okay, even though I learned the day I got it it might be phased out to a place in Dollet that does these things. But it works, I get a little money, I can leave if Garden calls me for a SeeD job (SeeDs are all supposed to be called from wherever they are nowadays), it's basically cool. Ah, here's my crew now.  
"Squall!" Ah, yes. Selphie. The other former member of the crew I see. She couldn't get any jobs afterwards, or rather, they all fell through. I basically pulled a couple of strings, she works for the stuff we need.  
"Hey. What do we do?"  
"You know. We're supposed to check the taxes over at Odine. I heard they haven't paid in eons..."  
"Didn't they have that freedom from it?"  
"Well, yeah."  
"Let's find some people who can't afford lawyers. Winhill?"  
"Sorry. Tax ruling. Loire passed a small tax change, Winhill pays no taxes period."  
"DAMMIT! This'll be hard..."  
"So? We can handle some hard things, eh?" Since I got her this job, she harps on that one time. I only had sex with her once, and we both agreed on it! I mean, she just didn't want to join SeeD and risk her life as a virgin, I had similar thoughts myself, we hooked each other up! But no, she has to go and just freaking HARP on it whenever we go through...  
Oh, I must still seem bitter because right after, she started jacking Zell. Nothing big, just trying to do some things. It's easier now that they've been together. It almost seems...natural.  
"Um, yeah. Let's just get to work." I put on my radio.   
  
Ah, almost time to end work. There it goes. Hey, that song... ANOTHER one of *our* songs? Geez, who's written the playlist today, some fanfic writer? Damn, I miss her. I'd better punch out.   
  
Ah, time to leave. I still can't get over the fact that I still miss her this much. I can't understand it. Why the hell does absence have to make the heart grow fonder? Why do people have to actually fall in love? Why can't everything be perfect right now?   
  
Luckily, I've got my cell phone. "Dad" doesn't want me using it, but I can bill it to some random person in Esthar in tax money.  
I saved up all of their numbers. Memorized Rinoa's, even though I can barely bring myself to call. I just don't want to find out that the other shoe had dropped. I've never struck out with her, but I've never gotten anything more than a foul tip recently. Which is better?  
  
All I need to know now is, "Should I call her?"  
  
____________________________________________________________________________  
  
Help decide the plot of white-hot author's story...  
  
Review this piece with what you feel Squall should do. Should he call Rinoa or should he not? 


	2. Default Chapter Title

PART TWO: The people's decision.  
  
Outside of parentheses, Squall. (Inside parentheses, the universal watcher who is 100% definitely not me. Yeah, that's the ticket.)  
  
Oh, come on, Squall! You've destroyed sorceresses, you've saved the world, and you can't even call one girl, who, oh yeah, felt exactly the same about you six months ago?   
(Come on, man, this girl's one of your close friends! How can you stand to be some mack type on the outside, and naught but a pathetic Chicken-Wuss on the inside? Oh, I forgot, at least Zell could fight...)  
I have to do this. I mean, the people of FF.Net wanted me to call her, and they're never wrong, right?  
(I need to do this. I mean, if you're going to ask people who you've never met what you should do, then you should at least follow their advice, right?)  
Why is it that if you miss calling just one or two times, you end up back on square one?  
(Preach it, brother.)  
Come on, it's nothing. What'll happen? She's probably waiting...  
( She was SO on the ropes when you last called, dude! It's very easy to hit it now, dude!)  
Okay. This is tough. Let me think...What would Alan Smithee do in this situation?  
(Okay. This is tough. Let me think...What would Squall do in this situation?)  
This is silly. Just do it. What am I, Zell?   
(Just do it. The fans asked for it. You've been working for how long now to get a fanbase? They need this. If you don't, you'll lose the opportunity to draw on something for your next one and consequently fail them.)  
Okay. Let's go. ::dials:: for the fans.  
(For the fans::beats chest:: For my WRITING! ::beats chest:: ::dials::)  
*ring*  
  
*ring*  
  
*ring*  
  
*ring*  
  
*ring*  
  
*ring*  
  
*Ring*  
  
She's...(She's...)  
  
Not...(Not...)  
  
Home. (Home.)  
  
  



End file.
